Air cleaner



April 1934- w. B. SULLIVAN 1,953,786

AIR CLEANER Filed June 15. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 45 April 3, 1934- w. B.SULLIVAN AIR CLEANER Filed June 15, 1951 2' Sheets-Sheet Patented Apr.3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE AIR CLEANER Application June 15,1931, Serial No. 544,399

Claims.

This invention relates to air cleaners, and more particularly to devicesfor removing dust and other foreign matter from the air supplied tointernal combustion engines.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved air cleaner having a removable screen or filter elementtogether with novel means for removably securing the element inoperative position. t

y One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved device for cleaning air that may be inexpensively manufacturedand readily attached in operative position.

A further object of .the invention is the pro- 1 vision of a new andimproved air cleaner having a readily removable screen element togetherwith means for supplying an oil to the screen or filter element.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedair cleaner that bustion engine showing the invention in position'thereon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the air cleaner; Fig. 3 is an elevationof the attaching ring; 7 Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified formof construction;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a front elevationof the latching mechanism with parts broken away;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine with partsbroken away, showing a further modified form of the invention inposition thereon;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the air cleaner shown in Fig. '7, on anenlarged scale; and Fig. 9 is a front elevation thereof on a smallerscale than that shown in Fig. 8.

The importance of clean air for carburetion is coming to-be more andmore appreciated. It is now recognized by experts in the care of carsthat the air cleaners, especially the wet type, should be cleaned quitefrequently and the oil renewed,

especially during dry weather when dust is more plentiful 'on thehighways.

It is common practice to employ air cleaners having removable elementsor provided with means for blowing out and otherwise re1nov-- ing thedust from the screen elements, but these devices are more or lesscomplicated and in some cases new filter elements are required quitefre- I quently. Such devices require too much time to clean and areexpensive and complicated.

The present invention seeks to remedy these defects by the provision ofa simple air cleaner having a filter or screen element that may bereadily removed, cleaned, replaced and oiled. The parts are so designedthat the filter or screen element may be cleaned and oiled by thegasoline station attendant, it being only necessary for him to have areceptacle of gasoline or kerosene and one of oil in a convenient place,and at in- 7 tervals, as when oil is supplied to the crank case, he canremove the filter or screen element, wash it in gasoline, dip it in oiland replace it in the cleaner, or it can be removed and blown out withcompressed air and oiled, and in this manner the 78 cleaner will operateat its maximum efiiciency at all times.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character 10 designates theconventional internal combustion engine for an automobile having theusual water jacket 11 for cooling the same; the intake manifold is shownat 12, the carburetor at 13, and the intake passage at 14. The engine isprovided with a cooling fan 15 as is usual in such constructions. 8

The improved air filter is shown at 16, see Fig.

1, and comprises a casing 17 which is preferably cylindrical, see Fig.2, and which tapers as at 18 toward one end and is flared outwardly asat 19 at its other end for forming a dust deflector or 9 shield as willpresently appear. The tapered portion 18 terminates in a sleeveextension 21 which is adapted to slip over the intake passage 14 and tobe secured thereto by any suitable means v as the clamp 22, the sleevebeing slotted as at 23 9 to permit the same to be clamped to the intakepassage 14.

The juncture between the cylindrical portion 17 and the tapered portion18 may be so shaped as to form an annular shoulder 24 against which 1 0a filter element or dust screen 25 is adapted to seat, as clearly shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings. The filter element 25 may be of any suitableconstruction, that shown is formed by a plurality of wire screens.

The screens are held together in any suitable manner. As shown they areconnected together at their central portion by a handle member 26 whichhas an extension 27 extending through the screens and riveted as at 28-onthe opposite side. 0

centrically of the casing.

Suitable means are provided for removably securing the filter element inposition in the casing. As shown in Fig. 2, the casing 17 is providedwith an annular recess 29 within which is adapted to be seated a springring 81 which engages the filter element and holds the same firmlyagainst the annular shoulder 24. The ring 31 is provided with fingerpieces 32 and 33 by which the same may be compressed for moving the ringfrom the casing preparatory to removing the filter element.

If desired, the casing may be provided with an opening 37 through whichvolatiles may be withdrawn from the crank case 38 by the suction of theengine through a suitable pipe or passage 39, see Fig. 1, attached atone end in the crankcase and at its other end to the projection 41extending about the opening 37.

It has been found that the air cleaner operates at maximum efliciency ifit be located in the air current created by the fan and has its intakeopening rearwardly or in the same direction as the air flowing from thefan, or is provided with a shield in front of the intake for directingthe dust laden air outwardly from the intake so that the heavierparticles of dust will be prevented by their momentum from entering thecleaner.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the intake for the air cleaner isdirected rearwardly and consequently the casing tapers toward itsforward end. The tapered portion will have a tendency to deflect thelarger particles of dust and foreign matter outwardly so that the samewill not be drawn into the cleaner. Only the finer particles of dustwill be drawn with the air into the cleaner and these particles will beseparated from the air by the filter element or screen which is adaptedto be kept moist as by means of lubricating oil. The casing may also ifdesired be provided with an oil receptacle 42 having a removable lid orclosure 43. When it is desired to clean the screen it is removed and maybe first dipped in gasoline and then dipped in oil and replaced, or oilmay be poured in the receptacle 42 after the screen is replaced and willflow down over the screen or filter from the receptacle.

The form of construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 diiiers from that justdescribed in that the sleeve extension 44 of the casing 45 is locatedec- By means of this arrangement the air cleaner may be attached tocertain types of cars in which the form shown in Fig. 2 could not beattached, and it also enables the cleaner to be adjusted so that it willbe in the air current from the fan.

In this construction the juncture between the tapered portion 46 and thebody portion 47 constitutes a shoulder against which the filter elementor screen 48 is adapted to seat. The filter element is provided with ahandle member 49 whereby the filter element may be removed from thecasing, cleaned, oiled and replaced without soiling the hands.

In this form of construction the filter element 48 is held in positionby a spring ring member 51. The ring member 51 is provided with a radialextension as the loop 52 which is adapted to engage in a recess 53 inthe casing. This ring has its ends extending outwardly as at 54 and 55.The ends 54 and 55 are adapted to engage in slots 56 and 57 which areconstructed substantially the same as those shown in Fig. 6 of thedrawings.

The body portion 47 may be provided with a conduit 50 through which oilmay be supplied to the filter element 48 or the conduit 50 may beconnected to a pipe similar to the pipe 39 leading from the crank case.

In the form of construction shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, provision is madefor deflecting the larger particles of dust from the air in a type ofcleaner in which the opening for the air faces forwardly or toward thefan. In this form of construction the cleaner casing 85 is provided witha screen element 86 which may be substantially the same as the screenelement 25 in Fig. 2, and is held in position by a spring ring 87 insubstantially the same manner as disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Ahood or deflector member 88 which tapers toward its forward end isadapted to be mounted on and supported by the ring 87. As shown, thedeflector 88 is connected to the ring 87 by a plurality of clips 89 sothat when the ring 87 is removed the deflector 88 will be removed withit, permitting access to the screen element 86 which may be removed bythe handle 91 as in the previous constructions.

In the previously described construction the casing is in the form of atruncated cone with the base or flared portion and the intake directedrearwardly, while in the construction shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the baseand intake opening are directed forwardly, and a shield is provided fordeflecting the dirt away from the opening. In all cases, it is intendedthat the intake 01 the casing shall be so arranged that it will benecessary for the air to change its direction in entering the casingfrom the fan. The use of the deflecting flange 19 as in Fig. 2 is notnecessary to the operation of the device, but it increases itsefiiciency very materially.

In the operation of all forms of the device, air is directed rearwardlyover the casing by the fan and is drawn into the casing through thefilter element by the suction of the engine. In order for this air toenter the casing it must change its direction of flow abruptly and thisabrupt change in direction causes the heavier particles of dust and dirtto pass beyond the casing due to the inertia of their mass. The fineparticles remaining in the air are separated therefrom in coming incontact with the filter element that is kept moist with oil or the like.

By virtue of the design and location of the filter element it performsother important functions than those of an air cleaner. When in positionon the intake passage or carburetor horn inlet of an internal combustionengine, it will efiiciently perform the functions of backfire trappingand carburetor silencing.

While the casings of certain of the forms are 130 shown as taperingtoward the fan it is understood that the casing or shield may be of anydesired form.

I claim as my invention:

1. An air cleaner comprising a casing, a sleeve 135 member extendingoutwardly from said casing, a clamping member for securing said sleevememher to the intake passage of an internal combustion engine, saidcasing flaring outwardly from said sleeve member, a laminated filterelement, a 140 handle member for securing said laminations together anda removable annular spring clip for securing said element within saidcasing.

2. An air cleaner comprising a casing, a reduced extension at one end ofsaid casing, means 145 for securing said reduced extension to the intakeof an internal combustion engine with the axis of said casing in ahorizontal plane, the opposite end of said casing being open, a filtermember within said casing, means for removably securing 150 said filterelement within said casing, and a handle member secured to said filtermember for binding the parts of said member together whereby the samemay be removed by said handle as a unitary structure.

3. An air cleaner comprising a truncated coneshaped casing open at itsbase, a filter element in the base, and means for securing said elementin position comprising a split ring having its ends bent outwardly forengaging open retaining slots in the base of said casing, said ringhaving a loop for engaging an opening in said base diametricallyopposite said slots.

4. An air cleaner for the intake of an internal combustion engine,comprising a casing, a screen element Within said casing, said casinghaving an opening therein, means for removably securing said elementwithin said casing, said means comprising an open spring ring having itsends extending through said opening to the exterior of said casing forcompressing said ring, and a handle member secured to the centralportion of said element.

5. In an internal combustion engine provided with a fan, the combinationof an air cleaner for said engine, said cleaner being located in thestream of air created by said fan and comprising a casing opening towardthe fan and having the axis of said opening extending in the directionof the flow of air from said fan, a filter element in the open end ofsaid casing, a shield member coaxial with, and in front of, said elementfor deflecting the air from said fan outwardly and rearwardly from saidcasing, a split resilient ring for holding said element within saidcasing, and means for attaching said shield to said ring.

WILLIAM B. SULLIVAN.

